Your Shopping Cart

Your shopping cart is empty!

Discover our bestsellers
Subtotal0 Items0
Go to Shopping Cart

Type. A Visual History of Typefaces & Graphic Styles

80Edition: Multilingual (English, French, German)Availability: In Stock
A connoisseur’s overview of typeface design, Type offers a dependable history of elegant fonts from 1628 to the mid-20th century. Derived from a distinguished Dutch collection, exquisitely designed catalogues trace the evolution of the printed letter through specimens in roman, italic, bold, semi-bold, narrow, and broad fonts, as well as borders, ornaments, and initial letters.
Hardcover9.8 x 12.5 in.7.30 lb720 pages
“Milestones that defined the typographic language of the times.”
The New York Times
Type. A Visual History of Typefaces & Graphic Styles

Type. A Visual History of Typefaces & Graphic Styles

80

For the Love of Letters

A history of fonts and graphic styles from 1628 to 1938

This comprehensive collection offers a thorough overview of typeface design from 1628 to the mid-20th century. Derived from a distinguished Dutch collection, a series of exquisitely designed catalogues traces the evolution of the printed letter via specimens in roman, italic, bold, semibold, narrow, and broad fonts. Borders, ornaments, initial letters, and decorations are also included, along with lithographic examples, letters by sign writers, inscription carvers, and calligraphers.

The first part of the book covers pre-20th-century typefaces, with texts by editor Cees de Jong and collector Jan Tholenaar. The second part deals with the period from 1900 to the mid-20th century, and contains a historical outline by Alston W. Purvis. Featured type designers include: William Caslon, Fritz Helmuth Ehmcke, Peter Behrens, Rudolf Koch, Eric Gill, Jan van Krimpen, Paul Renner, Jan Tschichold, A. M. Cassandre, Aldo Novarese, and Adrian Frutiger.
The authors and editors

Alston W. Purvis is professor of the visual arts division of the School of Arts at Boston University, USA. He is also the author of many books on graphic design.

Cees W. de Jong is a designer and publisher based in Naarden, the Netherlands. He has published numerous books on design, architecture, art and graphic design, and is now working as a design/publishing consultant and author.

Jan Tholenaar was a collector of the printed letter in all its various incarnations; especially in the form of design catalogs and specimen books. He lived in Amsterdam, where he passed away in 2009.

Type. A Visual History of Typefaces & Graphic Styles
Hardcover25 x 31.7 cm3.31 kg720 pages

ISBN 978-3-8365-6588-2

Edition: Multilingual (English, French, German)
Download product images here

5

/5

3 Ratings

Fantastic Book

Rosangela,October 27, 2021
I am delighted with this book. As a graphic designer and illustrator myself, it has being a great source of research.

Investing in culture, thanks to TASCHEN

Beatrice,October 27, 2021
Did a huge order during lockdown as I was expanding my interests and researches in graphic design and infographics. Got some amazing volumes, glad to consult them every time! Delivery was quick and efficient as all volumes were perfectly wrapped up and safely handed to me :) can’t wait to do some more shopping… already added some volumes to my cart…

berettarouge,March 1, 2024
Excellent books to have around for people to read.